With its prime location and mix of urban and rural, two developments, an old age home and a three-storey mixed-use building, have been earmarked for Durbanville.
According to plans sent into the City of Cape Town, the old age home will be an extension of the existing Onze Molen Retirement Home in 12 and 14 High/Hoog Street, which will see an extra 17 units (34 bedrooms) being built in a three-storey building.
Currently, on erf 274, which is the cavant land that is being rezoned to a general residential from a general business site, there is an existing building which will be demolished to make way for the new building.
Pierre Smit, who made the application on behalf of the New Life Community Services, said: “The new units will have a total floor space of 1457 m2. In addition, there will also be four single parking bays provided. Vehicular access to the new building will be from Hoog Street via the existing access point, and egress will be via the existing carriageway crossing to Regent Street.”
Currently on the adjacent property, erf 12853, there is a double-storey building with 33 units (45 bedrooms).
Mr Smit said: “Due to its location close to a variety of natural, recreational and urban opportunities, Durbanville is a highly desirable residential area and the demand for residential opportunities, including retirement accommodation, remains high.”
In Windell Street, a new building will be built on property that was originally zoned as a single residential zone, with one existing building which will be demolished to make way for the new building.
The building will be used for both commercial and residential opportunities.
A statement by the applicants, Aroux Town Planning, reads: “The proposed development will contribute towards the appropriate redevelopment of the local area and will reinforce the intensified mixed-use function of the Durbanville CBD as encpuraged by the City’s spatial development frameworks.”
The statement further states that the building will have access to nearby public streets and that all the requirements are met with regards to the surrounding areas.
“Although the existing structure on the property is older that 60 years, it has been significantly altered in subsequent years and is not deemed to be of heritage significance.
The City’s heritage branch confirmed no objection to the demolition of existing structures. An application has been submitted to Heritage Western Cape to obtain a demolition permit.”
Public participation for the old age home ends next week, Friday September 13, while any comments for the apartment building must be made by the end of the month.
Log on to www.capetown.gov.za for information.